Rock idol David Bowie joined the cast of Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants for a TV special titled Atlantis SquarePantis. The movie will air on Monday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT), followed by the making-of documentary Behind the Pantis’How We Made Atlantis SquarePantis. Leading up to the premiere, Nickelodeon will air a marathon of fan favorite SpongeBob episodes starting at 9 a.m. with the theatrical film The SpongeBob Square Pants Movie.
Bowie voices the role of Lord Royal Highness, whom SpongeBob and pals Patrick, Sandy, Squidward and Mr. Krabs meet when they are whisked away in a van to the lost city of Atlantis. On his personal website, the legendary performer referred to the job as ‘the Holy Grail of animation gigs.’
Kids can now go online at TurboNick.com to vote for their favorite episodes and determine which ones will make it into the marathon. The site will host other activities related to SpongeBob and the new special. After the broadcast of Atlantis SquarePantis, fans will be able to see how the movie was created, from the initial story pitch to writing, storyboarding, drawing, animating and voice recording.
Nickelodeon and THQ will release the new video game SpongeBob’s Atlantis SquarePantis for the PlayStation2 on Nov. 5, and Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment will debut The SpongeBob SquarePants: Atlantis SquarePantis DVD on Nov. 13. The disc will contain behind-the-scenes features and other bonus material, including exclusive footage of Patchy the Pirate.
To support the Atlantis SquarePantis television event, Nickelodeon has partnered with Atlantis Resort, which will host a special SpongeBob SquarePants-themed weekend package for families beginning Nov. 5. Burger King is also on board with a multi-platform program that includes 12 new mythical-themed SpongeBob toys for distribution in their kids meals. The fast food chain will also sponsor a sweepstakes with a grand prize family trip to the Atlantis Resort.
